The Nats get an owner

Bud Selig, like Stephen Colbert and George W. Bush, goes with his gut. Lerner's in, Malek's out.

It is natural that City Council members, as well as Williams, should strongly support the Malek-Zients group. However, from Selig's perspective, the strength of the Lerner group is as clear to him as the virtues of Malek-Zients are to Vincent B. Orange Sr. Selig is convinced that some types of owners tend to be far better than others. He believes that extremely wealthy single-family owners with hometown roots tend to be stable baseball stewards for generations. They are financially supportive in hard times and have a family-business vested interest in fielding winning teams.

In other words, they become a true baseball family, inextricably bonded to the game by blood and, thus, always prepared to defend the sport's multi-generational best interests. As for "groups," you just can't always trust 'em. They fuss, they feud and sometimes that Mr. Perfect heir apparent doesn't ever actually get to run the team. They meddle, they ego-trip, they are in it for the action and the fame, rather than to go about the quiet, out-of-the-spotlight task of nurturing a family and civic heirloom.

Why would Selig believe something along these lines? He cites exemplary families such as the Fetzers in Detroit. But, of course, except for a lack of wealth that hamstrung the Milwaukee franchise, the description would fit Selig himself and his daughter Wendy. He thinks a family -- like his family -- makes the best owners. Even the Lerner family's aversion to publicity works for Bud. "I've only met Ted Lerner once," Selig said this week. He meant it as praise, a mark of modesty. Also, Selig believes the best owners hire the best executives then keep their hands to themselves. The Malek-Zients group, and their supporters, have never fit that mold for Selig. Recently, a politician called Selig to pump the Malek group and ended up making a speech about how Kasten "wasn't really a good baseball executive." According to a source, the commissioner was stunned and said, "Stan is one of the best baseball executives ever. And they are calling to tell me that he isn't?"

To Selig, Lerner's willingness to accept Kasten, and his financial demands, was another proof that his family could be trusted to handle the Nats as John Henry handled the Red Sox -- by handing them over to Larry Lucchino, then slipping from view except to make a brief modest speech at that little World Series ring presentation ceremony.

Everything about Lerner-Kasten rings Bud's bells. And the longer he is exposed to the Malek-Zients group, the more their fingernails seem to scratch a chalkboard to Bud's ears.

The objection to the Lerner group from D.C. City Council members was the family's lack of diversity. Strange, though, that our ol' buddy "Jew-counter" Malek would be raised as a symbol of racial diversity.